“And Just Like That…” Star Karen Pittman on Self-Care, Derm-Approved Serums and Dating

When Karen Pittman is in-between shows, she has one goal: To get back to herself. “I look like a character for the majority of the year,” says the actress, who stars on And Just Like That… and The Morning Show. “It is important to do things that reconnect me to real life.”

Detox + Dating

Pittman says “getting back to self” involves two things: “Surprisingly, self-care for me looks like dating. Just finding people I like to spend time with and putting myself out there. I’m also currently detoxing from coffee and trying get to bed a little earlier—all the good things. I’m doing Alejandro Junger’s Clean 21 program. It makes me feel great.”

Dermatologist Do

“I’m a longtime fan of my dermatologist, Rose Ingleton. She has a fantastic skin-care line called Rose MD. She has an amazing moisturizer and serums that I use all the time. When I’m in Los Angeles, I go see my friend Joomee Song, who’s a facialist. She does so many good things for my skin—she really keeps it healthy. Her mantra is always: ‘Do less, get good exercise, drink water, and think about what you are applying to your face. You don’t need to put all the things on your face! Less is more!’”

Spa Menu

“I do a lot of infrared sauna, and I recently got into cold plunge pools and contrast therapy. I also love an IV vitamin cocktail.”

Gym Member

“I think one of the things that I figured out during my work time was that I don’t love the big gym experience with the gym membership and tons of people and exercise machines all around. I switched to a much smaller workout gym in Los Angeles called SLAY Gym. I work with Eric Strangis, who’s my trainer. I also found that I really need yoga, and I love to sweat in hot yoga. Overall, I wanted a more curated experience as far as self-care is concerned. When I made my exercise experience smaller, special and more curated, it became a lot more enriching to me.”

Nature Walks

“Because I’m an actor, I’m always connecting to nature. It’s an endless source of inspiration for me. I hike a lot at Kenneth Hahn State Park when I’m at my LA home. Nobody really knows how special that place is, but those of us who live in View Park do. When I’m in New York, I live in Brooklyn, and I’m a devotee of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. I support everything they do. I’ve talked about them ad nauseam, but it really is such a special place. I’m literally there almost every day. I walk in there and just forest bathe. I am a Buddhist, so I definitely believe that sitting at the base of a tree will give you a lot of peace.”

Care Package

“I think that people feel like self-care is a special treat—go get your nails done and get a massage. But wellness really has to be a daily practice. I make the strongest effort now to make it a part of my day-to-day living.”